The Darker Path
by The Tribble's Pen
Summary: "My name is Alizya Karen Williams.. and this is how we lost the Dominion War.."
1. Chapter 1

9 Years Ago

Stardate 41962.1

December 18, 2364 – 03:05:11AM

The planet Risa glowed with mysterious beauty with white sandy beaches and crystal clear blue waters. The exotic food was a pure delight for all the senses. Alizya Williams and her father Matvey Williams, went to the Risian festival called the Lohlunat on the pristine beach of Suraya Bay. The Lohlunat was held at night when the twin moons glowed high in the night sky. There was rich music all around with delicious food and high spirits for everyone who attended.

The bright silver moons reminded Alizya of the large shiny pearls her father found on the beach only a few days before the festival started. A day after the festival ended Matvey challenged her to a rock climbing contest on Galartha, she liked how it changed pitch the higher she climbed. After she won they sat on the top and watched the scenery around them. It looked a lot like the island of Hawaii back on Earth, but on a much bigger scale since the whole planet was like this. Later that day they went to a seafood restaurant where Alizya learned some of the language from the local Risians.

A few hours before Alizya left to go back to Earth, she found a beautiful waterfall that poured into a large pool of clear cool water. As she explored the area she was surprised that no one else found this magnificent scene and called it their own. Behind the place that the water fell was a little cave not more then ten feet deep. This would be a wonderful place to relax and get some peace. On her way back to the USS Cricket, she smiled wide as she thought to herself that she found her own special place that no one else had yet. Next time she visited Risa she was going to her waterfall.

Alizya Williams was exhausted from her exciting trip to Risa. When she stepped back onto the civilian transport ship she knew she was going to miss the beautiful planet. She wanted to stay longer but her father needed to get back to Earth for one of his projects back on Earth. But she had lots of fun memories and pictures to remember her fun time on Risa.

Matvey was an architect who traveled all over Earth to do his projects. Unfortunately it left Alizya home alone most of the time in San Francisco, California. She always found creative ways to entertain herself while her father was away. She started to gain interest in Starfleet and wanted to join next years new semester, she was confident that she could pass the Starfleet pre-entrance exam. But she wasn't sure which division she wanted to excel in, there were so many choices to choose from. Engineering seemed fun.

Alizya slept peacefully in her dark and quite room on the USS Cricket. But yet, tonight was different from all the other nights that she slept in her quarters. Maybe it was because the temperature in the room was a little too warm or perhaps the low hum from the ship was just a little too loud. It wasn't either of those that interrupted her slumber. She couldn't get back to sleep because she woke up from a very strange dream.

It felt so real that she thought if she closed her eyes again that it would automatically resume like one of her holonovels, but it never did. She even half expected it to be one of those dreams that you wake up in but in reality your still dreaming.

Her long mahogany colored hair stopped in the middle of her back and her eyes were a deep shade of emerald. She wore a pair of light pink pajamas and had a matching pair of slippers on the floor next to the bed. The pajamas and slippers were a gift from her grandmother on Earth who would be celebrating her 110th birthday soon. In every way Alizya appeared to be Human, except for the faint four ridges on her nose and the light spots that trailed down from her forehead to her feet. Her father was ½ Trill and ½ Human, while her mother was full Bajoran.

She sat up in her bed for a few moments and tried hard to remember the dream that was so vivid only moments ago. She looked up at the ships chronometer and watched as the seconds slowly ticked by. The dream slipped away the longer she was awake and the more she tried to remember it the more the details faded away. She reached over to her nightstand and grabber her data padd to write down what little she still remembered of the dream. But as soon as the data padd was in her hands she didn't have the faintest idea of what to write down anymore.

Not sure what really woke her up she tossed the blue-gray covers aside and jumped out of bed. She placed the data padd on the bed and stretched. Something was bugging her in the back of her mind, something just wasn't right tonight and she felt it. Her bare feet stepped softly on the dull colored carpet, the slippers forgotten. She stared down at the carpet and wondered whoever the original designer for the ship was had very bad taste in how to style a room.

Her attention was pulled away from the dull colored carpet when she heard the accented sound of her fathers worried voice in the other room. Nothing he said could be understood through the thick metal walls of the ship. She wasn't even sure whether her father had called her name or if she just happened to hear her father say her name in the other room.

Matvey wouldn't talk to himself, as far as Alizya knew she and her father were the only two people currently on the ship. Then she heard another muffled voice in the other room. Curious, she walked up to the door and pushed the side panel. It beeped and the door whooshed open, the sound of her fathers voice was more audible but she still couldn't make out what he was saying.

She stepped outside of her room and when her bare feet made contact with the cool metal floor she shivered. She should of put on her slippers, but didn't bother going back to get them. It seemed like too much effort now since she was now out of her room. She took a few steps and quietly followed the sound of her fathers voice.

Matvey was a stocky half Trill/Human with short curly dark brown hair, deep hazel eyes and light spots. His mother was from Russia and he moved to North America when he met Alizya's mother. A Bajoran woman who died giving birth to Alizya, her name was Ala Kayren. Her father told her that her mother was one of the lucky Bajorans who escaped the Cardassian Occupation. Matvey gave Alizya her mothers Bajoran earring telling her that her mother would have wanted her to have it.

He clearly wasn't happy as he stared hard at someone who stood on the other side of the room, just out of Alizya's line of sight. She never seen him this tensed before, a light sweat was on his forehead.

She strained to see around the corner to see who her father was talking to. To her surprise a person causally walked by. She wasn't expecting someone else to be on the ship, she thought her father was talking to someone through a hail that he received.

The strange man was tall, he had short brown hair and icy blue eyes that sent shivers down her spine. From the was this man glared at Matvey it was obvious the he hated him with a passion that she couldn't explain. "I don't care what you think anymore Matvey." He had a strong British accent which made him appear more handsome but his eyes just scared her. "We agreed on this a long time ago and yet.. you choose now to decide that you don't want to go through with what we planned?"

"I changed my mind Calen." Matvey crossed his arms and stood tall. The scene reminded Alizya of a wild targ standing tall against a predator to scare it off. His hard gaze never left Calen's icy blue eyes. The air was tense as the low hum of the ship drummed in the background and the occasional beep meant it was on autopilot. His hazel eyes watched the other man carefully, but it was obvious that Matvey was very afraid. "You can forget about everything we said or done and just leave us alone."

Calen inhaled deeply and then gave a long sigh. "I hoped it wouldn't have to come to this. But you leave me with no other choice." He took out a weapon that looked like a phaser from his holster and aimed it at Matvey's chest. "Goodbye, old friend."

Alizya made a mistake while she hid and gasped to loud, she quickly covered her mouth. Matvey and Calen stopped staring each other down and looked over to where she was hidden. Matvey's eyes widen and he yelled. "Alizya run!"

Calen didn't say a word or panic as the young girl in front of him stood frozen with fear. He acted like he could care less that he saw her. His gaze made her feel cold on the inside, his eyes told her that he wasn't afraid of anything. He gave her a evil smile and pulled the trigger on the phaser, the setting was set to kill.

Time seemed to slow down before Matvey or Alizya could react to what was going on in the room. The phaser fire hissed and burned at the flesh when it hit his chest. The searing hot pain quickly spread throughout his entire body and he fell to the ground with a pained moan. It took mere seconds before the blood started to pour out of his wound, it stained his light brown shirt a dark maroon.

"Father!" Alizya yelled and ran past Calen, not caring if her shot her next with his phaser. She had no idea what was going on or why this mysterious man called Calen shot her father.

Matvey struggled to talk to his daughter, but the color in his face quickly drained. His body went slack and his once warm hazel eyes now stared back up at her. Cold and lifeless.

She shook her father and her eyes started to sting with salty. "No.. " She whimpered. "You can't be gone.." She sobbed. "Don't leave me.." She tried hard to fight back her tears, she looked up at the man who murdered her father. "Why?" She spat the work out as if it were poison. Tears ran down her face in streams.

The man in black just smiled at Alizya and tapped at something on his wrist. "In due time.. we will meet again." He then transported off the ship leaving Alizya to mourn over her father. She looked down at her fathers lifeless body and cried heavily. Not caring that her pajamas were now stained with his blood and her tears. He was all she had left of her family and now he was gone in a flash.. Alizya was truly alone.

A few minutes passed and then the ship jerked violently. The momentum flung her across the room liked she weighted nothing. The lights above her flickered and a console the she hide behind only minutes before exploded. Metal creaked and groaned as the ship rocked hard to the left and to the right. She couldn't see her fathers body on the bridge anymore. The lights flickered out again and plunged the ship into darkness. Plasma fires consumed random parts of the ship and the loud warning alarms hurts her ears. She chocked on the fumes and strained to see through the smoke. The last thought on her mind before she lost consciousness was that she was going to die.


	2. Chapter 2

"_Lieutenant Williams Personal Log, Stardate 505078.9. It's only been a mere six days since the Cardassian Union joined the Dominion forces. Since then Deep Space Nine has been requesting more Federation personnel because they believe we are at the brink of a major war. Three other officers and I are transferring to the Bajoran space station from my old post on the USS Sparrow. I have served four great years on the Sparrow and can only hope that my stay at Deep Space Nine will be just as great. We should arrive in about three hours, until then I've been reading up on the history of Deep Space Nine and the current senior staff aboard."_

The small mess hall on the USS Sparrow was pleasantly quite and empty. The only noise that could be heard was the low hum of the ship running. The little Sydney class ship had five crew members aboard, all very different in species an personality. Three of the crew members were transferring to the Bajoran space station previously known as Terok Nor.

Medical officer Lieutenant Alizya Williams loved being in the mess hall when it was quite like this. It gave her the chance to read – one of her favorite hobbies. She shared quarters with another female crew member so getting some privacy on the small ship was hard to come by.

The first thing that you would notice about Alizya would be that she was a mix of two species. Her father was Bajoran and one of the lucky few who managed to escape the Cardassian Occupation. Her mother was Trill and had found her father wondering around space in a half-dead escape pod. Alizya never really liked to talk about her past to the other crew.. she had lost her parents when she was 16.

Ensign Amy Sybil was a Human Science officer. Fresh out of the Academy she was a temporary roommate with Alizya on the Sparrow. She was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia on Earth. She was a bright, outgoing person who loved to talk and gossip whenever she had the chance. But her bubbly personality would get the best of her and it would end up with the Ensign getting into trouble.

If Lieutenant Williams didn't know better she would have thought that Amy had ADD, but she was pretty sure that was cured a long time ago. Alizya thought it wasn't a wise choice for the young and inexperienced Ensign to be taking on such a big assignment going to Deep Space Nine, but that was Amy's choice. When Lieutenant Williams graduated Starfleet Medical she was offered to go on the USS Sparrow or Deep Space Nine, but she went with the star ship because she didn't feel like she could take on the responsibility of being on a space station.

Ensign Nol Drohn was a Bolian Engineer, also a fresh cadet out of Starfleet Academy. He was Amy's friend, though if he just tolerated her or was really friends with the energetic Ensign was hard to tell. The Bolian was hardworking and always eager to please the senior officers, but he had the bad habit of always looking on the bad side of things. He grew up with what would seem to be a streak of bad luck, he lost his parents when he was young.

Commander Edward Anderson was the commanding officer of the USS Sparrow. He was over confident and arrogant, but was a good leader whenever things were looking bad. He would always joke to Lieutenant Williams about how she was always too focused in her work to ever have any fun. The Lieutenant would just ignore him most of the time unless it was duty related.

Lieutenant Lo Dolora was a Bajoran Engineer, being on of the best she was always picked to go on the missions that required a quick flight to and from places – like this one. She didn't like Ensign Sybil that much but the Bajoran didn't let it show. Lo would always be telling the young human officer that she needed to stop acting like Starfleet was some sort of game and to start seeing it as a serious duty. Sadly her words just flew past Amy's head most of the time.

The silver data PADD Lieutenant Williams was reading would occasionally beep softly when she would scroll down or change to a different subject. A light blue mug of hot peppermint tea sits in front of her on the table. Picking the tea mug up by the handle she comes upon the file about the chief Medical officer – Julian Bashir. Sipping at the minty liquid she reads the information on the Doctor of Deep Space Nine. She smiles to herself, according to his file he was a pretty good doctor..

The USS Sparrow rumbles for a few seconds, a moment later the young female Ensign runs into the mess hall. Her blond hair falls into her face as she stops to look at the Lieutenant sitting calmly at the table reading a data PADD. Out of breath she quickly walks up to the medical officer and takes a deep breath. "What was that? Are we under attack?"

Not looking up from her data PADD Alizya resists the urge to laugh at the Ensign's over-excitable reactions. She sets the mug of peppermint tea down and replies to the Ensign. "We're probably just going through a small ion storm Ensign. You don't have to worry unless the ships alarms start to go off." Her green eyes stay on the data PADD she was holding in one hand.

"Oh.." Feeling better the Ensign walks over behind Alizya and looks down at the data PADD she was reading. Amy starts to grin widely as she sees the picture of Julian Bashir. "What are you doing?" She points to the data PADD and gushes. "Who is that adorably handsome guy!" She looks up at the Lieutenant. "Is he like your boyfriend? Do you have a crush on him?"

Rolling her eyes Alizya sets the data PADD down on the table and looks over at Amy. "I _was _enjoying my free time reading up on Deep Space Nine. That guy is Julian Bashir, the Chief Medical officer of Deep Space Nine. And finally.. no I don't have a crush on Dr. Bashir because I don't even know him!" She glares daggers into the Ensign and picks up the data PADD and continues to read.

Ignoring the Lieutenant's hint of irritation Amy sits down next to Alizya and takes the data PADD from the Lieutenant's hands. "Oh! It says here that Julian-" But before Ensign Sybil could finish her sentence the data PADD quickly disappears from her hands. Amy looks up at the Lieutenant and she is not smiling.

Giving the Ensign a serious look she stares her in the eyes. "Ensign.."

"Yes.. Lieutenant? I – mean Doctor? Or – sorry – yes sir?" Amy's hands nervously hit the table and manages to knock over Alizya's unfinished mug of peppermint tea all over the table. "Oops, sorry!" She grabs the mug and sets it back onto the table, the liquid was already spilling over the edge and dripping onto the floor.

"Where is Ensign Drohn?" Lieutenant Williams puts the data PADD in her lap and crosses her arms. She glances at the mess the Ensign had made.

"He's asleep. Earlier Drohn was telling me about Deep Space Nine. Is it true that a Cardassian still lives on the space station and-" The Ensign stops talking when she notices Alizya glaring at her.

Before Lieutenant Williams could say another word the klaxon alarms start to go off, causing Ensign Sybil to jump in her seat. She knocks over the mug again, this time it shatters to pieces when it hits the floor.

Alizya stands up and glances at Amy, setting down the data PADD she was reading the Lieutenant swiftly runs out of the mess hall. Leaving a confused Amy sitting alone. She looks around nervously – unsure whether she should follow the Lieutenant or clean up the mess first.

"Sir, three ships are being picked up on long range sensors." Lieutenant Dolora looks down at her console, her blue eyes checking to make sure the sensors were right. Looking up at the Commander her short brown hair sways to the side and her earring wiggles.

Commander Anderson looks at the Bajoran woman, his pepper color hair looking brown in the dark room. "What kind of ships Lieutenant?"

"Three Jem'Hadar fighters, they have dropped out of warp and are on a intercept course." She reads the information on the computer console. She looks back up at the Commander, the Bajoran's face was full of worry.

"Put the ship on red alert!" He sits down next to the Bajoran at the command console. "Are we within visual range?"

"Yes sir." On the main viewer three Jem'Hadar ships are closing in on the USS Sparrow. "Sir?" Lieutenant Dolora looks at the Commander with a bit of confusion.

"Yes Lieutenant?" He looks away from the main viewer and listens to the Bajoran woman.

"We are being hailed by one of the Jem'Hadar ships." Her earring was moving erratically back and forth from her head movements.

"On screen." Commander Anderson turns his attention back to the main view screen. A purple eyed Vorta appears with two mean looking Jem'Hadar standing behind him.

The Vorta stands tall and rigid, as if he was the most important person on the Dominion ship. He stares at the Commander with a blank look on his face. "You have thirty seconds to drop your shields and let us board your ship. Or we will have no choice but to do it ourselves by force, and kill you."

Commander Anderson clenches his jaw and frowns. Who did this Vorta think he was? Telling him what he had to do. He has a ship full of people who needed to get to Deep Space Nine. Edward was not a very old man, but the wrinkles on his face and the few gray hair would make him appear as if he should be a Captain already. His frowning only made the wrinkles more defined. "Do I have to remind you _Vorta, _that this is Federation space and _your _the ones putting yourselves in danger? We have every right to be here and we don't have to stop and listen to your demands."

The Vorta looks at him with his big purple eyes and smiles. "Please, Commander, call me Keevan. And you happen to have something of value to us on your ship. If you would allow us, we could get what we need and let you continue on your way to where ever you are going. Unharmed. Everyone wins."

"I don't think so. We don't have anything that belongs to the Dominion. So I would suggest that you back off and go back to Cardassian space." Commander Anderson doesn't break eye contact with the Vorta who calls himself Keevan. He sits in his chair tense, like his words.

Keevan shakes his head in disappointment. "You have fifteen seconds Commander, or we will take what is ours by force. You know just as well as I, we don't want any casualties. Though, Jem'Hadar are easily expendable, on the other hand Starfleet officers.." He chuckles. "Not so much."

Commander Anderson motions for Lieutenant Dolora to cut off the audio. "Are there any other Federation ships in the area."

"Scanning sir." A few moments later Lieutenant Dolora looks up at the Commander. "Yes sir, the Defiant."

Keevan watches the Commander, interested in why he only cut off the audio. Maybe they were going to listen and let the Vorta have what he was searching for.

"Send them a priority one message, we are going to need help. How long until they get here Lieutenant?" The Commander glances back at the view screen where the Vorta stands patiently waiting.

"About twenty minutes at warp 9." The Bajoran glances at the view screen and hopes this wouldn't be her last mission.

"Good." Commander Anderson nods to Dolora to bring back the audio, looking at the screen he decides to see what the Vorta is looking for. "What is it that you think we have?"

Keevan looks at the Commander with a serious face. "I don't need to explain myself. We both already know what is on your ship." He pauses and puts on a fake smile. "Now, if you want to corporate, you will let us board your ship so we can take what is rightfully ours. Remember Commander, you have one Federation ship against three Dominion fighters. Who do you think would win?"

"How am I supposed to trust you Keevan? I honestly don't know what we have on this ship that is yours. And what is keeping you from just blowing us into oblivion if you do succeed in getting what you wanted?" The Commander was tiring from talking to the Vorta, but at least he was stalling so the Defiant could get here.. but what did the Vorta want?

Keevan chuckles. "Commander. I speak nothing but the truth here, I only want what is best for the both of us. So are you going to corporate.. or do we have to do this by force?" He pauses, letting the Commander consider his options. "Think about it Commander, none of us want casualties.." A Jem'Hadar walks up to the Vorta and whispers something into his ear. Keevan looks at the Jem'Hadar and nods. Turning back to the screen the Vorta sighs. "Well Commander, I see that you sent out a transmission for help. You have three minutes to decide what you want to do.. and I hope for both our sakes.. that it will be the right choice." The view screen cuts off and the Commander stares hard at the screen where the Vorta was only seconds before. The only image on the screen was the three Jem'Hadar ships staring the USS Sparrow down.

"What are you going to do until the Defiant arrives?" The blond Ensign with sad brown eyes looks at the Commander. Amy followed Lieutenant Saunders to the bridge and watched the Commander and Keevan exchange words.

"We stall for as long as possible." He looks at Ensign Sybil, she was young and just got out of the Academy. Commander Anderson hoped she wouldn't have to be a casualty if it came down to fighting the Jem'Hadar.

"I don't think they are going to fire on us Commander." Lieutenant Saunders speaks up, she is looking at the view screen where the three Jem'Hadar ships wait for Anderson's decision.

Commander Anderson looks at the red haired Lieutenant, her green eyes were focused on the screen. "And what makes you think that Lieutenant?"

Looking away from the view screen she meets Commander Anderson's gaze. "If we have something of importance to the Jem'Hadar on this ship their not going to risk destroying us."

"But, if the Defiant gets here and we still haven't give them what they want.. they may change their minds." Dolora turns in her seat and looks at the half Trill.

The Commander looks at both Lieutenants. "They may also decide to just annihilate us anyway so whatever we have on this ship doesn't stay in Federation hands. If its important to them then is must be very valuable to the Federation."

"What could we possible have on this ship that is important to the Jem'Hadar?" Ensign Sybil says a little too loudly for Lieutenant Dolora.

"That is, if we ever find what they are looking for." The Bolian walks onto the bridge and glances at the view screen. "It all ends here.. and we didn't even have the chance to reach Deep Space Nine." Though Drohn had the habit of looking at the bad side of things he may be right, the crew look at him and then try to come up with a plan.


End file.
